Mithridates VI of Pontus

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Image:Mithradates VI of Pontus.jpg Template:Campaignbox Mithridatic Wars Mithridates VI, (in Greek Μιθριδάτης, 132 BC–63 BC), called Eupator Dionysius, also known as Mithridates the Great, was the King of Pontus from 120 BC to 63 BC in Asia Minor and one of Rome's most formidable and successful enemies, meeting and engaging three of the most successful generals of the late Republic.

1 History
2 Culture
3 See also
4 External links

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History

Mithridates VI was the son of Mithridates V of Pontus (150 BC–120 BC), called Euergetes. Mithridates VI spent much of his early career as a fugitive. To clear his path to the throne of the kingdom of Pontus, he killed off many of his brothers, but not his sister, Laodice, whom he married. He was ambitious, and sought to invade a number of neighbours, including Bithynia, which brought him into conflict with the expanding Roman Republic during its later years.

After conquering western Anatolia in 88 BC, Mithridates VI ordered the killing of all Romans living there. The massacre of 100,000 Roman men, women and children brought matters to a head. During the First Mithridatic War fought between 88 BC and 84 BC, Lucius Cornelius Sulla forced Mithridates VI out of Greece proper, but then had to return to Italy to answer the threat posed by Marius, and thus Mithridates VI was defeated but not beaten. A peace was made between Rome and Pontus, but this proved a mere temporary setback. Mithridates VI recouped his forces, and when Rome attempted to annex Bithynia, Mithridates VI attacked with an even larger army, leading to the Second Mithridatic War. from 83 BC to 81 BC. First Lucullus, and then Pompey the Great were sent against Mithridates VI, who was at last defeated by Pompey in the Third Mithridatic War of 75 BC to 65 BC. After his final defeat in 65 BC, Mithridates VI fled, and attempted to raise yet another army to take on the Romans, but failed to do so. In 63, he fled to the citadel in Panticapaeum and committed suicide (A History of Rome, LeGlay, et al 100).

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Culture

Two curious legends are told of Mithridates VI of Pontus. First, he was supposed to have had a prodigious memory. He could speak twenty-five languages, and to be able to address each soldier in his large armies by name, and in his own tongue. This legend is alluded to in the short story Funes the Memorious by Jorge Luis Borges [1].

From this legend, several books that published samples of many languages were entitled Mithridates.

The second legend is that Mithridates VI sought to harden himself against poisoning by taking increasing sub-lethal doses of the poisons he knew of until he was able to tolerate lethal doses. A. E. Housman alludes to this practice, also known as mithridatism, in the poem Terence, this is stupid stuff in A Shropshire Lad. The legend also appears in the novel The Count of Monte Cristo. Afraid to be poisoned by one of his many enemies Mithridates VI fashioned a universal antidote, Antidotum Mithridaticum, consisting of tens of ingredients. Among the ingredients were opium and honey, the antidote was put in a closed flask in which it was to stay for at least two months. Every day Mithridates VI took this medicine to counteract possible attempts to poison him. When Mithridates VI was at last defeated by Pompey and in danger of capture by Rome, he is alleged to have attempted suicide by poison but was immune because of his antidote. He had to make one of his servants kill him by sword. Antidotum Mithridaticum was used for about 1900 years after this and is called Theriac. The most famous sort is called Theriacum Andromachi after the physician of Nero.

The demise of Mithridates VI is detailed in the play Mithridates (1673) by Jean Racine. This play was the basis for many 18th century operas including one of Mozart's earliest, known most commonly by its Italian name, Mitridate, re di Ponto (1770). The Last King is a historical novel by Michael Curtis Ford about the King and his exploits against the Roman Republic.

A town in Crimea, Ukraine, Eupatoria is presently named after Mithridates VI.

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